CNN’s Brian Stelter Goes To A Trump Rally: It Wasn’t Quite What He Expected

CNN’s Brian Stelter played anthropologist last night and attended his first Trump rally in Charlotte, NC:

One of my 2016 media coverage regrets: I never went to a Trump rally. So this fall I planned on attending one. In this thread, I’ll share some of my observations from Charlotte pic.twitter.com/3fVQTKJUiq

But what he seems to have found is that many of the Trump supporters at the rally don’t really mean what they say when they shout things like, “CNN Sucks!”:

CNN correspondent @JeffZeleny and producer @betsy_klein are here. A loud “CNN SUCKS” chant broke out when reporters lined up for their 5pm live shots. Then a man walked over to me and said, “nothing personal.”

Lots of reporters have pointed this out, and I’m seeing it firsthand: Groups jeer CNN here, but individuals ask for selfies and say “we’re glad you’re here.” Yes, some are insulting, but many others are friendly. I’ve been having so many conversations, not much time to tweet.

Lots of reporters have pointed this out, and I saw it firsthand on Friday: Groups of Trump rallygoers jeer CNN, but then individuals ask for selfies and say they watch the network. Yes, some are insulting and intimidating, but many others are friendly. I had some in-depth conversations with attendees before Trump arrived.

Here’s another example: A loud “CNN SUCKS” chant broke out when reporters lined up for their 5 p.m. live shots. Then a man walked over to me and said, “nothing personal.” But others screamed “lyin’ Brian” and heckled me during a live shot.

THE TAKEAWAY: Some people seem to think the “enemy of the people” stuff is just a performance, kind of like pro wrestling. But others seem to really truly believe it.